OIA Government Affairs

The  Outdoor Industry Association Government Affairs team represents the outdoor industry’s interests in the legislative and policy development process. OIA works to promote equitable and predictable trade policies, increased funding for outdoor recreation and federal management policies on public lands that support active recreation.

Early in 2008, OIA increased our investment in our public policy outreach and expanded our Government Affairs team by opening a full-time office in Washington, D.C. The D.C. office allows OIA to increase its capacity to address issues important to the outdoor community as well as have a constant presence in the halls of Congress.

OIA focuses on the following public policy issues:

Trade Policy
The outdoor industry produces some of the most innovative products in the world; merchandise which reaches all corners of the globe and enriches people’s lives by supporting healthy and active lifestyles through outdoor recreation.

OIA works to ensure the fair and proper treatment of the outdoor industry’s innovative products as they move through the supply chain to retail. With this goal in mind, OIA works to reduce import duties, protect outdoor products from quotas, ensure outdoor industry companies have competitive access to new and emerging markets and minimize barriers that may threaten outdoor recreation products getting to American retail shelves.

Predictable trade policy results  in greater prosperity and uninterrupted production processes for outdoor industry businesses and better availability of product at a better price at retail for the outdoor industry customer.


Recreation Policy
More than 75 percent of Americans participate in active outdoor recreation each year. OIA is committed to ensuring that our public lands offer high-quality recreational experiences. To this end, OIA lobbies for increased funding for public lands and asks policymakers to ensure public lands are managed to ensure the recreational resource is preserved and enhanced.

OIA is also committed to the notion that every child should have a trail, park or green space within 15 minutes of their home. This will require an increased investment in our nation’s close-to-home recreation infrastructure.

Finally, we work with policymakers make certain they recognize the importance of outdoor recreation’s $730 billion contribution to the U.S. economy and the importance of recreation to the physical and spiritual health of the nation. 


Policy Agenda
Each year the policy agenda is submitted by the Government Affairs team and approved by the OIA Board of Directors. Please click here to view the entire policy agenda.